Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #4 Estonia
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country.
This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place.
I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share.
A common question I get asked is what my favorite country is. It’s hard to choose just one, but I can easily say that Estonia is a top contender!
In the summer of 2017, I visited Estonia during a trip throughout the Baltics (which remains one of my favorite trips to date). I had a quick stop in Pärnu before arriving in Tallinn, the capital city. I was immediately charmed by the Old Town, cobblestone streets, and medieval center. The people were extremely friendly, the food was delicious, and the weather was perfect – a great combination!
During my trip to Estonia, I hadn’t begun formally studying clarinet music from each country I visited. However, I always made a point to visit concert halls, conservatories, music shops, archives, museums and more whenever I had the chance, and Tallinn was no exception.
I spent an entire day in the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum, where I learned a lot about Estonian music and composers. This museum gave me several resources for further research to learn about Estonian clarinet music. This visit was also important on a personal level, as it was when I began documenting and compiling a list of clarinet music from each country I visited.
Which brings me to today’s installment of Around the World in Eighty Pieces:
My favorite Estonian clarinet composition is Ester Mägi’s (1922-2021) Sonata for clarinet and piano. (You can listen to me perform this work here.)
Ester Mägi is often referred to as the first lady of Estonian music, and she incorporated Estonian folk music in her compositions. Learn more about her here.
There is no shortage of Estonian clarinet music! I encourage you to explore the Estonian Music Information Centre to discover other works.
Although my visit to Estonia was brief, I hope to return one day soon to learn more about the music and clarinet culture here!